‘Juno’ actress Ellen Page comes out as gay

Ellen Page arrives at the LA premiere of Fox Searchlight Pictures’ “The East” presented by Piaget in this May 28, 2013 file photo taken in Los Angeles. Page, the adorable, quirky actress who enchanted movie audiences in 2007 as the pregnant teenager Juno, came out as gay Friday night Feb. 14, 2014 at a conference for educators and counselors who work with LGBTQ youth.
(Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP/File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ellen Page, who won the hearts of moviegoers as the pregnant teenager in the 2007 film “Juno,” has come out as gay.

The 26-year-old told a Las Vegas audience Friday, “I’m here today because I am gay.” She was speaking to a conference of counselors who work with teenagers who identify as lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual or queer.

A video of her speech was posted on the Los Angeles Times website.

Page says she suffered for years because she was afraid to come out. She told the audience, “I’m standing here today, with all of you, on the other side of all that pain.”

Page received an Oscar nomination for her performance in “Juno.” She also had major roles in “X-Men: The Last Stand” in 2006 and “Inception” in 2010.